


Try Again (And Again)

by Quinnion



Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Awkward Kissing, Awkward Romance, Banter, Bisexual Sokka (Avatar), Bisexual Suki (Avatar), Coming Out, F/M, Feelings Realization, Fluff and Humor, Gay Zuko (Avatar), Getting Together, Healthy Relationships, Hook-Up, Idiots in Love, Implied Sexual Content, Light Angst, Love Confessions, M/M, Minor Sokka/Suki, One Night Stands, Past Jet/Zuko (Avatar), Polyamory, Sexuality Crisis, Sparring, Zuko is an Awkward Turtleduck, in a gay way obvi, it's an open relationship tho
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-11
Updated: 2020-12-11
Packaged: 2021-03-10 17:53:50
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,660
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28001220
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Quinnion/pseuds/Quinnion
Summary: "Have you ever been with a guy?”Sokka sees Zuko’s back immediately tense up, his shoulders going stiff and his hands clenching into fists. He manages to hold back his reaction, containing his panic. “Uh, yeah,” he replies simply, his expression almost unreadable, except for the embarrassment in his eyes, “Why do you wanna know?”Ignoring the question, Sokka scoots closer and leans in, his interest immediately piqued. “Oh? Who was it?” he asks curiously, “Do I know him?”“He uh...It was just a one time thing,” he replies awkwardly, avoiding the question concerning whether he knows him or not. Sokka watches him with wide eyes and listens intently, hanging onto every word and silently encouraging him to continue. “I met him at kind of a low point, on the way to Bae Sing Sae, and we had fun for a night, stealing shit and uh…” Zuko sighs and shakes his head, his face turning an even deeper shade of red, “But he was a complicated person and things didn’t work out with us. Or for him. There wasn’t really ‘with us’ anyways.”Or Sokka has a bi crisis and Suki is a very supportive girlfriend. He finds out about Zuko's past with Jet and gets a little too curious about his experience with guys.
Relationships: Past Jet/Zuko (Avatar) - Relationship, Sokka/Suki (Avatar), Sokka/Zuko (Avatar)
Comments: 16
Kudos: 199





	Try Again (And Again)

**Author's Note:**

> I'm back (with another Zukka fic)! I'm finally done with this semester and I can get back to writing fics yay! I usually only write during breaks idk if you guys have noticed,,,this idea was something I've wanted to write for a while and it was at the top of my list so here it is! I had a fun time writing it and I wanted a good balance of fluff and humor with also some angst and an Introspective Feel to the whole thing. And also I wanted to answer that age old question of how Zuko reacts to finding out Jet died but make it gay. I hope you enjoy it! (also the big chunk of italics is a flashback)

It’s no secret that Zuko’s a master firebender. That’s the whole reason he’s there with them in the first place. Or at least to start with. But it’s a lesser known fact among the group that he’s a master swordsman too. Sokka finds out the extent of his skills when he stepped out onto his balcony to get some fresh air one night, the moon high in the sky and illuminating the beach as it reflects off the cascading waves. He leaned on the worn wooden railing and looked down to find Zuko moving across the sand. Still in his day clothes, he was expertly wielding his dual swords and creating patterns in the sand as he repeated movements and drills, shifting his weight and twirling his blades as if all three of them were weightless. 

Sokka was stuck in a trace for a few moments, absolutely mesmerized, but as soon as he broke out of it he launched himself down the stairs, nearly tripping over himself when he hit the sand. He didn’t really think about what he would say once he got there, rudely interrupting Zuko’s focused mindset, and he just said what was already on his mind: ‘I wanna be able to do that.’ Zuko stood and stared for a second, his swords hanging by his side, before simply telling him to get his sword. And that’s how Sokka’s late night swordsmanship lessons started. He later learned it was a way for Zuko to deal with his insomnia. Sokka quickly scrambled to apologize for intruding on his alone time but Zuko quickly dismissed it, saying he was glad for the company. He’s secretly thankful it’s too dark for Sokka to notice his flushed face, and they continue where they left off. 

It doesn’t take long for the others to notice the time they spend together. No one really comments on it, just brushing it off, but Suki can’t help but pick up on how giddy Sokka always is afterwards. On one of the days he comes to her room after their training session, still sweaty and panting with a big grin plastered on his face, she decides to poke around a bit. 

“So,” she starts, lounging on her bed and watching Sokka set his sword aside, “You guys have been spending a lot of time together, huh?” 

Sokka straightens up after making sure his sword is balanced while it leans against the wall and turns to face her, “Who? Me and Zuko?” he asks, getting a hum and a small nod in response. “Yeah, we have,” he replies with a wide smile, “I thought he was all dense and repressed and hot headed at first, and he is, but he’s really cool and kind of a dork too and-” Sokka cuts himself off when he notices a small smirk on Suki’s face, “Why are you giving me that look?”

Suki’s expression shifts to one of fake surprise and she sits up a bit, “What look? I’m not giving you a look,” she says with a shrug. Sokka doesn’t seem convinced and stares at her pointedly, hands on his hips. She huffs and drops her shoulders, “All I’m saying is you guys have gotten...close. Especially after the prison break, I saw you two and there’s _something_ there.” 

Sokko frowns, his brow furrowing in the same way it does when he’s trying to solve a complex problem, “What do you mean _something_? You mean like not just friends? You mean like-” He gasps and shakes his head, taking a few steps back as if the realization hit him square in the chest and tried to push him over. The way Suki smiles tells him that’s what she was getting at.

“N-no! There’s no way!” he exclaims, his voice cracking, “I mean-! I like girls?!” he gestures wildly, his arms ending up outstretched towards Suki. And she just laughs and shakes her hand, standing up.

“So? I like girls too,” she says matter-of-factly, “You can like two things, dumby.”

Sokka throws his hands up in the air and turns full circle, ending up with his hands on his hips again, “Yeah, I know that but you’re you and I’m...I don’t know,” he sighs out of frustration, dropping his arms, “What makes you think I even like Zuko like that? Or any guy!” 

Suki shrugs and crosses her arms, “I don’t know, just a feeling,” she replies simply, able to tell that’s not nearly enough for her boyfriend, “Well, it’s just the way you talk about him and act around him. Just now you were gushing about how cool and dorky he is.” 

“That could just be friendship!” Sokka exclaims, not seeming convinced.

“A really, _really_ close friendship then,” Suki snorts, shaking her head and pausing for a moment, “Okay, what about at the boiling rock? Was there a moment or a feeling or something?” She prods Sokka’s expression as he thinks it over. There’s a moment where his eyes widen and his hand drops from his chin, Suki urging him to explain with her gaze and leaning closer. He swallows thickly and turns his head away, averting his eyes and just staring at the wall. His voice is strained as he answers.

“Well...There was this moment with-” _Icy cool air and nuts and bolts in his laps. A burst of flames from his smirking mouth. And a daring look in his eyes and-_ “It doesn’t matter but...It did make me feel something,” Sokka mutters, running his fingers through his hair in a way he only does when he’s stressed, “Not the same something you or other girls make me feel, but something,” he adds, bringing his hand up to his chest where he feels warm fluttering. 

Suki’s expression softens and she walks over to him, placing her hand over his and lacing their fingers together slowly, “It doesn’t have to feel the same way,” he says reassuringly, “My attraction to girls is different than to guys, and I don’t want to push you into anything and stress you out since you do tend to overthink things and freak yourself out but...just consider it, yeah?” 

Sokka gives a shaky nod in response, squeezing her hand firmly to let her know he’s okay, “Yeah...Okay,” he mutters, uncharacteristically quiet.

“And if it is _something_ , you should go for it,” Suki perks up, grinning at him, “He’s cute and you’d be good together,” she says with a laugh. Sokka’s face turns bright red, reaching all the way to his ears, and he pushes her away playfully.

“S-shut up!” 

Sokka is hesitant to continue training with Zuko, but he’d much rather do it than deal with the awkwardness of suddenly stopping their unspoken ritual. The more time they spend practicing, the more Sokka improves, and the more intense their sparring gets. Soon enough, each session is filled with tension, the couple pushing and pulling for control, and just as one of them gets the upper hand the other turns it around on them. On more than one occasion, they’ve ended up rather close, with their swords locked together and their breath hot on each other’s faces, fire in their eyes. In those moments, Sokka can’t help but think about what Suki said and his concentration breaks.

Despite all his improvement, he has yet to beat Zuko. He falls back on his ass yet again, disarmed with his sword laying a ways away from him in the sand. Sokka sits up to see Zuko towering above him, holding his attack position with his sword extended and pointed towards him, his face set in stone. Sokka’s cheeks heat up and after a tense moment Zuko lowers his blade and relaxes his body, holding his hand out to help Sokka up. He gladly accepts it, immediately noticing how warm Zuko’s hand is, and pulls himself up. 

“You’re getting better,” Zuko says simply, “Maybe one day you’ll finally beat me,” he adds with a teasing smile. 

Sokka goes to pick up his sword and shoots him a playful glare, “I don’t know why I keep coming back when I always end up getting my ass kicked,” he replies with a laugh.

Not seeming to pick up on the flirtatious tone, Zuko shrugs. “Yeah, me neither. The only person who’d want to train with me was my uncle. And Aang I guess,” he mutters, rubbing the back of his head to distract himself from the sudden awkwardness. 

Sokka laughs to clear the air and nudges Zuko’s shoulder, “You’re not as bad as you make yourself out to be,” he reassures. He tenses at the unexpected touch and Sokka drops his hand, unsure what to make of it. He clears his throat and waits a few moments before speaking up again, “You wanna cool down in the courtyard?” 

“Sure.” 

Zuko seems relieved for the change in subject and heads over into the open courtyard with him. They’re both still panting from sparring, their muscles aching and their clothes soaked in sweat. The cool air helps a bit and Sokka shakes out his shirt to get some air flowing under where the fabric was stuck to his skin. They sit down on the steps, Sokka leaning back and supporting himself with his arms behind him, his legs stretched out, while Zuko sits hunched forward. his hands in his lap and his legs folded. 

The soft chirping of insects fills the silence between them, not that it’s uncomfortable. There’s a quiet peace to it, their breathing slowly coming down together. Sokka stares up into the sky for a while, his eyes fixated on the moon, but they soon drift down to Zuko. He looks beautiful even with his hair covering most of his face. Sokka blushes and, in his late night exhaustion, he lets the first thought in his head slip out.

“Have you ever been with a guy?” 

Sokka sees Zuko’s back immediately tense up, his shoulders going stiff and his hands clenching into fists. He manages to hold back his reaction, containing his panic, and considers the question for a few moments before he turns his head to look at Sokka. 

“Uh, yeah,” he replies simply, his expression almost unreadable, except for the embarrassment in his eyes, “Why do you wanna know?”

Ignoring the question, Sokka scoots closer and leans in, his interest immediately piqued. “Oh? Who was it?” he asks curiously, “Do I know him?”

Zuko shifts a bit and snaps his head away, but he still feels the other’s gaze burning into him. “He uh...It was just a one time thing,” he replies awkwardly, avoiding the question concerning whether he knows him or not. Sokka watches him with wide eyes and listens intently, hanging onto every word and silently encouraging him to continue. 

“I met him at kind of a low point, on the way to Bae Sing Sae, and we had fun for a night, stealing shit and uh…” Zuko sighs and shakes his head, his face turning an even deeper shade of red, “But he was a complicated person and things didn’t work out with us. Or for him. There wasn’t really ‘with us’ anyways.” 

_Zuko lets his hands hang off the edge of the ship, constantly shifting his feet to adjust to the swaying of the water. His stomach is full for the first time in weeks and he has a new...friend? He wouldn’t call him that. Acquaintance, at best. Jet is unusually close, their sides almost brushing together, and they stare off into the distance, watching the waves._

_“We make a good team, huh?” Jet breaks the silence, turning towards Zuko, “Partners in crime, or something.”_

_Zuko snorts and keeps his eyes on the water, “Yeah, or something.”_

_“You’re good with the swords though. It’s really...impressive,” Jet adds, a slight change in his tone making Zuko look up. “You’ve obviously been through some shit but you’re a fighter. You’re strong.”_

_Zuko doesn’t detect anything ingenuine in his voice, and he finds that odd. “Thanks, I guess...I don’t think about it that way though.” Jet shifts closer, and now they’re definitely touching._

_“Well,” he draws out the word, his tone dropping, “Maybe I can change your mind.”_

_Zuko doesn’t know how it happened. Or why. Maybe it was the adrenaline still rushing through his veins. Or the late hour. It doesn’t really matter because he likes it. Their lips meet in the moonlight, his own soft while Jet’s are dry and cracked. They soon push closer with soft grunts, their bodies flushed together, and the heat behind the kiss grows, devolving into tongue and teeth. Jet grabs his biceps and pulls away, panting breath billowing in the cool air._

_“Let’s find somewhere more private, yeah?” he breathes out, his gaze intense and determined. Zuko just nods and follows him, wanting to chase some kind of release to everything that’s built up inside him. They step over and around sleeping bodies, first passing his uncle who’s laying on his side under a thin blanket facing them. He sees him quickly close his eyes and fake sleep. And Zuko pretends not to notice._

_Jet leads him down the stairwell and into a narrow hallway under the hull. He finds a mostly empty storage room with a single flickering light. It isn’t much but it’ll do the job. There’s barely any space for the two of them to move around once inside but that’s not a problem. Zuko takes the initiative this time and pushes Jet against the wall, smashing his lips against his and quickly making work of his clothing. Their warm breath and bodies heats up the room, a nice change to the chilly wind on the deak, and hands start to-_

“Waitwait! Wait!” Sokka pulls him from his thoughts, waving his hands frantically and his eyes a little crazed. “The guy you’re talking about...was that Jet?!” he exclaims. The look of shame and embarrassment in Zuko’s eyes is answer enough. “Oh my God! It _was_ Jet!” Sokka shoots up from his seat and brings his hands to his head, needing to pace around while he processes it. Zuko just sits there awkwardly, his eyes following the other boy, and he starts to get worried he’s going to wake up the others. 

“I-I don’t even know how?! Like-? How? W-why?” he sputters in disbelief, “Why is everyone into this guy!? He isn’t even that great! I mean, he’s hot but he’s a total ass! And-!” In his babbling flow of inner thoughts, Sokka doesn’t even notice himself admitting he thought Jet was attractive, but Zuko certainly does. He starts to get frustrated, not to mention uncomfortable, and springs up to his feet to grab Sokka’s collar, stopping him in his tracks. 

“I told you I didn’t know him!” he hisses, keeping his voice low, “He was just some guy I hooked up with for my own reasons. I didn’t know about the shit he did or that he fucking died until we went to see that stupid play!” Zuko tugs Sokka rather close, their faces only inches apart, and he huffs angrily, steam rising from his nostrils. Sokka’s face immediately turns bright red and he swallows thickly, his Adam’s apple bobbing. It’s only when Zuko notices the blush, and the tension between them, that he lets go, turning around to hide his own embarrassment at the closeness. 

Sokka lets out a shaky sigh and does his best to calm himself, flattening down his shirt. “L-Look, sorry about that,” he speaks up after a while, “I was just...surprised. And I didn’t know you didn’t know what happened to him, I’m s-”

“Don’t apologize,” Zuko cuts him off, slowly turning around to face him again, “I made my peace with that, I guess. I’m not really sad about it, which might make me a bad person but...Whatever.” His voice lowers to a mutter, the guilt obvious in his eyes. Before Sokka can attempt to comfort him, which he doesn’t even really know how he would do, Zuko changes the subject.

“Wait, why are you even asking me in the first place?” 

Now it’s Sokka’s turn to feel embarrassed. He immediately looks away and laughs awkwardly as he rubs the back of his head. “Uh, well...I don’t know,” he lies, “The thought just popped into my head or something?” 

Zuko narrows his eyes and takes a few steps closer, staring him down intensely. “You know, for a warrior who evaded the Fire Nation for this long, you’re a pretty bad liar,” he hums, “Tell me the real reason. I’m not about to leave this conversation with you knowing this...thing about me and not getting something in return.”

Sokka stares him down for a few moments before admitting defeat, hanging his head. He sits back down on the stairs with a loud, dramatic sigh and drapes his arms over his knees, “I was curious, I guess,” he starts to explain, “My village is small so there weren’t any girls my age except Katara, let alone boys and I...still haven’t tried anything with a guy so I guess I was wondering if you have.” He keeps his eyes glued to the stone floor the whole time, his body incredibly warm despite the cold night air. 

“Okay...that’s understandable,” Zuko replies slowly, joining him on the stairs, “Do you uh, want to do something with a guy?” he asks hesitantly, unsure if that’s a line he can cross. Sokka’s clasped fingers tighten around each other and he swallows thickly, only nodding in response, not trusting his voice right now. Sokka starts to regret saying all that, his stomach turning in the worst way, but Zuko finally responds. But somehow he _still_ doesn’t seem to get it. 

Zuko sighs and leans back, tilting his head up to look at the night sky, “Well, you can. You can do whatever you want,” he says with a soft laugh, “I still don’t get why you asked _me_ though. You could have-” He freezes and stops mid sentence, the words getting caught in his throat. 

“Oh.”

He can feel his head creak as he turns to look at Sokka, meeting hopeful and somewhat nervous eyes.

“Oh.” 

Zuko clears his throat awkwardly, his face suddenly just as red as Sokka’s, and he points to himself with a raised brow, “M-Me?”

A loud slap echoes when Sokka brings his hand up to his forehead, leaving a red handprint that matches the rest of his face. “Yes, _you_! You are so _dense_ sometimes!” he exclaims, waving his arms towards him dramatically. Zuko blinks at him a few times and his face gets so hot he thinks he might burst into flames at any moment. 

“I am not!” he protests, making a failing attempt to defend himself, “How was I even supposed to know?!”

Sokka just rolls his eyes and barks out a laugh. “I flirt with you all the time! The constant jokes? The sword fighting? Always trying to impress you?” He leans closer with each question, and he would be embarrassed to admit all of that was flirting if he weren’t so keen to make his point.

Zuko presses his lips together into a thin line and looks down at his feet, wondering how he was supposed to know all that. When he meets Sokka’s gaze again, he looks guilty, and Zuko huffs out a soft laugh, “So that long, huh?” he teases, immediately lightening the mood.

“S-shut up!” Sokka’s voice cracks but he doesn’t even try denying it. He shrugs and just nods reluctantly, resisting the urge to run away from this embarrassing situation. He likes being by Zuko’s side too much, and something in him tells him to stay. 

“So.” Zuko starts awkwardly, scooting a few inches closer to Sokka. “You still wanna do something with a guy? Well...with one particular guy?”

Sokka’s eyes widen and he nearly jumps at the opportunity, his heart skipping a beat. “R-Really? You sure?” he chokes out, already turning his body to face Zuko. The older boy just nods, his eyes dark and half lidded, and brings up a hand up to Sokka’s face. He leans in and Sokka follows his lead, keeping his eyes open for as long as possible to see where he’s going.

Just as he closes his eyes, their lips meet. Their faces fit together almost perfectly and Zuko’s lips feel even softer than he thought they would. Not that he’s thought about that a lot. It feels right in a way that confirms everything that Suki said and he finally lets his reservations slip away, it’s not like he had many to begin with. Sokka lets him take the lead and he guides him through the kiss, humming when he feels Sokka’s hand find itself on his chest. Just as he presses closer and parts his lips a little bit, Sokka pulls away, sucking in a deep breath. 

“Fuck,” he pants out, “I forgot to breath.” He smiles up at Zuko sheepishly and the other just laughs. He grabs Sokka’s collar and tugs him closer, pulling a gasp out of him. With their chests pressed together and their faces only inches apart, he can feel Zuko’s hot breath on his face, taking the opportunity to drink in every handsome feature.

“Wanna try again then?” 

Sokka just nods shakily, surprised when he’s immediately caught in another kiss. This time teeth and tongue meet, it’s messy but neither of them mind, too busy letting their hands wander. After they pull away again, both out of breath, Sokka argues he wasn’t ready that time and needs a third try. Zuko isn’t one to complain, losing count after eleven tries. They continue for as long as their exhaustion lets them, a promise of more hanging in the air as they sneak off to their separate rooms, finding each other in their sleepless thoughts.

**Author's Note:**

> Please leave a kudos if you enjoyed it and comment too if you want!
> 
> I do take requests/commissions; contact me on my [ tumblr ](http://being-gay-on-ice.tumblr.com/) or leave a comment on this fic!


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